You are invited to attend the 2012 NAIDOC Defence Memorial Service to be held at the Inauguration Stone located outside in the Western Courtyard of the Australian War Memorial. The Memorial Service will commemorate the contribution made by Indigenous men and women who have served their country as part of the Australian Defence Force.

This Memorial Service is particularly relevant in 2012 with the recent policy guidelines released within Defence for the practice of Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Traditional Custodians of the Land. 

The Chief of the Defence Force General David Hurley AC DFC, will be delivering the address at the ceremony along with making an Acknowledgement of Traditional Custodians of the Land representative of the close relationship that the Australian Defence Force has with traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands land and people. The Australian Federation Guard and Army Band-Sydney will both be on display as part of the service. 

The ceremony will commence at 2.00 pm and all members of the public are welcome to attend. Members of the public are also invited to bring a wreath should they wish to lay this at the Inauguration Stone during the service as their own personal dedication to honour those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women who have served our country in peace and at war. 

The Memorial Service draws from the 2012 NAIDOC theme “The Dared to Challenge”. These men and women have left a proud legacy through defying the prevailing culture of the day, which was the very act of daring challenge that they all stared down, let alone the bravery many showed on operations when engaged with the enemy.

Please feel very welcome to join this Memorial Service as an important occasion to show our respect for the way these men and women were willing to find reconciliation through friendship between 'black and white'. A legacy we ought to be justifiably proud of as present day custodians."